Bloomfield High School (New Jersey)

Bloomfield High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Bloomfield, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Bloomfield Public Schools. The school was established in 1871, with its current facility completed in 1911.

As of the 2024–25 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,055 students and 158.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1. There were 885 students (43.1% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 148 (7.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Bloomfield High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.

History The original high school building, located on Broad Street, was completed in 1871 at a cost of $30,000 (equivalent to $ in ). The current school building was built as an extension of the original building and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011.Eustachewich, Lia. "BHS to Celebrate 100 Years with 'Reunion of All Reunions'", BloomfieldPatch, April 6, 2011. Accessed April 11, 2012. "Former Bloomfield High School students will be treated to a night of dancing and reminiscing at the school's 100th anniversary April 16, organized by the Bloomfield Educational Foundation."Frankel, Jeff. "Bloomfield High School celebrating 100 years of education", Bloomfield Life, May 5, 2011. Accessed April 11, 2012. "The first high school, located at 155 Broad St., was erected in 1871 at a cost of nearly $30,000. The school now houses the district's administration building.... Since its completion in 1911, thousands of students have walked the halls, and all have unique memories to share. Bloomfield Life spoke with several alumni and a school administrator for a glimpse of life at the high school."

Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 217th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014. The school had been ranked 221st in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 226th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 181st in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 7, 2011. The school was ranked 225th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state."Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 277th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (a decrease of 9 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed January 10, 2012.

Athletics The Bloomfield High School BengalsBloomfield High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Super Essex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Essex County divided by size and skill level, having been established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. Until the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in Division A of the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, which included high schools located in Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties, and was separated into three divisions based on NJSIAA size classification., Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 9, 2009. Accessed December 15, 2014. With 1,473 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range.NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the Liberty White division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions." The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 1,317 to 5,409 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.

The school participates with Columbia High School in a joint ice hockey team in which Nutley High School is the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.

The school's football rivalry with Montclair High School was listed at 19th on NJ.com's 2017 list "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football". Bloomfield was the stronger school in the initial years of the competition, with Montclair dominating in since the early 1980s and leading the rivalry with a 69-26-1 overall record as of 2017.Stypulkoski, Matt. "Ranking the 31 fiercest rivalries in N.J. HS football", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 27, 2017, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed December 1, 2020. "19-Bloomfield vs. Montclair... Historically, Bloomfield won 13 of the first 16 meeting, including eight straight from 1930-1937, but Montclair took over the series, going 31-4 since 1982. All-time series: Montclair leads, 69-26-1"

The baseball team won the Greater Newark Tournament in 1935, 1945, 1952 and 1996. The program's four titles are tied for fifth-most in tournament history through 2019."Baseball: The history of the Greater Newark Tournament, with throwback photos", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 13, 2019, updated August 24, 2019. "Essex-Only Era (the tournament has only been open to Essex County schools since 1973)... The Open Era: (prior to 1973, teams from outside the county were eligible for invitation)" The team won the 1996 Greater Newark Tournament title, defeating Livingston High School 3-0 in the finals.Mattia, Jerry. "BHS baseball team rules Greater Newark Tourney", Bloomfield Life, May 30, 1996. Accessed January 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Al Piccoli hurled a three-hit shutout and Jim Killian's three-run homer in the first inning supplied all the offense needed on Saturday as the Bloomfield High School baseball team captured its first Greater Newark Tournament title in 44 years with a 3-0 whitewash of Livingston. For Bloomfield, which raised its season record to a gaudy 25-4, the victory marked its first championship in the prestigious GNT since 1952."

The boys basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1937 (defeating Asbury Park High School in the tournament finals), 1953 (vs. Thomas Jefferson High School), 1957 (vs. Trenton Central High School), 1958 (vs. Linden High School) and in 1971 (vs. Ewing High School).History of NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The 1937 team won the Group IV title with a 30-24 win against Asbury Park in front of a crowd of 3,600 at Rutgers University."Bloomfield Gains Group Four Crown; Defeats Asbury Park, 30 to 24, to Take Jersey Basketball Title for First Time", The New York Times, March 21, 1937. Accessed January 3, 2021. "Bloomfield won the Group 4 high school basketball championship of New Jersey by defeating Asbury Park, 30 to 24, before a capacity crowd of 3,600 in the Rutgers gym tonight." The 1953 team won the Group IV title against Thomas Jefferson of Elizabeth with a 60-45 victory in front of a crowd of 3,500 at the Elizabeth Armory for the championship game."Bloomfield Tops Jefferson, 60-45; Gains Jersey School Division Title -- Hamilton, Weehawken and North Arlington Win", The New York Times, March 22, 1953. Accessed January 12, 2021. "Jefferson High of Elizabeth only 1952 winner to reach the finals of the New Jersey State interscholastic basketball tournament, was defeated by Bloomfield High, 60-45, in the tourney finale tonight before 3,500 at the Elizabeth Armory." The team ran their record to 26-0 after winning the 1957 Group IV title with a 51-47 victory against Trenton Central in the championship game played at Princeton University."Cella's Bloomfield Team Captures Group 4 Title; Edges Trenton Central, 51-47, To Extend 1956-57 Victory Skein To 26 Games", The Record, March 18, 1957. Accessed January 10, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Undefeated Bloomfield High captured its second Group 4 N. J. S. I. A. A. championship in the last 4 years Saturday night when it turned back Trenton Central, 51-47, at Princeton University." With a 71-64 win against Linden in the Group IV championship game at Rutgers University, the 1958 team finished the season with a record of 24-0 and extended their winning streak to 50 games.Harding, Bob. "'Tremendous" Bengals Win State Cage Crown; Celia's Bloomfield Five Beats Linden, Ups Consecutive Victory String To 50", Herald News, March 24, 1958. Accessed March 4, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "With valuable assistance from teammates Don Heeb and Bob Woollard, the five Bloomfield boys successfully defended their state Group Four championship by winning their 50th straight game. The Bengals accomplished this by beating a scrappy Linden team, 71-64, before 2,800 screaming fans at Rutgers University in the finals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Associations tournament. Thus, Bloomfield completed its second straight undefeated basketball season. The Bengals won 26 in a row in the 1956-57 season and added 24 straight this season. The state title won Saturday was their second straight and the third for Celia since he began coaching at Bloomfield."

The boys cross country team won the Group IV state championship in 1956 and 1968.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.

The boys soccer team won the Group IV state title in 1966 (as co-champion with Steinert High School) and 1974 (vs. Neptune High School).NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.